Top of the League – and having a laugh!

3 games down, 9 points and top of the League. Who’d have believed it? Not me for sure, 1 week down 25% towards the safety net points total and Birmingham City at home on Saturday. Last time they were up they took 6 points from us with a wicked 40 yarder that could have gone anywhere and a post Carling Cup win embarrassment by 4-1 at St Andrews. In that period we approached games with arrogance (having won a cup) and played without any at all – this time I hope we keep our feet securely on the ground.

Birmingham presents my first visit to White Hart Lane this season having been away for the Liverpool game. I may be wrong but I think it will be a great atmosphere on Saturday with us starting out top of the table. Over recent years – since Martin Jol was our manager – the atmosphere has continually improved at what used to be an apprehensive and quiet stadium and I have slight concerns that if the redevelopment plans go ahead that a lot of this will be lost. I also read Arsene Wenger’s thoughts about stadium redevelopments and have to admit that he has a point. With all clubs it is important to have a team to put into a brilliant new stadium as after it is built there is the risk that finances will be under pressure for a couple of years. Arsene pointed out a number of clubs now struggling in the lower leagues who had moved to new homes and it’s fair to say that without Champions League money of about £60 million a season Arsenal might have more worries on their broad shoulders.

After all it was only the early 1970’s when Chelsea built a fantastic new stand and bankrupted the club until Mr A stepped in and changed their finances all around. That stand helped Chelsea’s record against Tottenham to what it is today. When they were a regulation win for us the stand made sure they were in the second division and safe from Archibald, Crooks, Hoddle, Ardiles etc.

I appreciate that the Tottenham board think that we need more seats available at our ground and I do support this. But how many is the question? Firstly, we have to be mindful that a generation of new football supporters have chosen Arsenal, Chelsea and possibly Manchester United over Spurs because of their much better records since the mid nineties so can we sell out week in week out.. You might call this a bit defeatist but I well remember the financial crisis in 1990/91 at the club resulting in the sale of Gascoigne when “no club” might have been a possibility.

Then there is the issue of being a buying/selling club. If our form continues it certainly brings some of our star players into the spotlight and current Top4/Manchester City radar. Defoe might stay with Harry but will that be the case with Modric or Palacious? And then you are rebuilding the side and restricting your potential. What is true is that there will always be 36 to 40 thousand who will make the effort go to the games but after that you do need a team. As a Spurs member I can get tickets, for some games you have to put yourself out but not for all, so does this suggest that we can sell out a new stadium? Granted we may have lots on a season ticket list – but don’t most of them already go as members and if they don’t why will they go if they suddenly get the opportunity of season tickets. I’m not sure I understand it – maybe you can enlighten me?

 But for now let’s just enjoy being top of the table. Come on you Spurs!  

We are Tottenham: Super Tottenham

Last year it was joy, this year a tinge of sadness – but we did take Manchester United to penalties and kept a clean sheet over 120 minutes. True we rode our luck on occasions but then did their keeper not get the man of the match award? Chances were few but it was an enjoyable game to watch and one that was there to be won once we got our teeth into it.

As I’ve said before supporting Tottenham Hotspur is a rollercoaster ride and it is days like yesterday that make you scratch you head. If we played like that every week we would be in the upper reaches of the table and we would maybe not be desperate for Wilson Palacios to provide the tackles and midfield steel that we’ve been lacking. In our run up to last years final we tackled like tigers to beat Arsenal and approached Chelsea with similar vigour. Having won it we approached match after match as cocky world beaters and got shown the error of our ways week after week. Let’s hope this year we apply the effort and attitude we showed yesterday for the rest of the season to help get us out of trouble and up that Premier League table!

The season so far….

As we approach the New Year, a look at the Barclays Premier League shows an extremely tight competition with Bolton in 11^th and Stoke in 19^th only three points apart.  There have been a number of surprise results this season and a few unexpected successes. 

 

Who would have thought that Hull Citywould have a good run at the start of the season and that clubs such as Blackburn, Tottenham and Newcastle would be struggling for points?  And how many people would have put Ireland, Cisse or Turner (Hull) in their first choice eleven?

 

Having been asked for my ‘Trick’s Picks’ at the start of the season, I have to say that I pinned great expectations on Spurs and have been somewhat let down…unless Harry can turn things around, my Picks will be far worse than last year!

 

A look at our Fantasy Football League Table shows that there are a number of teams with a possible claim to the title. It could be a close-run contest, almost as close as the Premiership itself.

 

Top of the Lambert Chapman Premiership at the moment is ‘Real Cool Beanz’, managed by Lewis Sharp, with a total of 882 points. He has now been top for six weeks and looks to have a strong team. However, there are a few teams below him that cannot be ruled out – Ainsley Bowyer has 863 points and Andy Stride has 852 points. Below them in 5^thplace is Tom Drysdale, last year’s winner, with 807 points and he will be keen to retain the trophy.

 

Also deserving of a mention is ‘I’m forever…ah!’ in 10^thplace – Mike Carabine always submits a ‘theme team’ into the competition – this time, he has chosen players who have all been involved at West Ham at some point, either a permanent signing, loan signing or those who played whilst in the youth squad.  Given his strong position, it remains to be seen whether he sticks to the theme or forgoes it for a stronger squad with an eye on winning!

 

It should not be forgotten that, each month, we promote the top three teams in each league and relegate the bottom three teams.  Therefore, teams in Division 5 can still get promoted each month and get into the Premiership by the end of April, leaving them in with a chance of the trophy.

 

This is good news for the likes of Gary Luckman (858 points), Ruth Lewis (849) and Louise Jessup (827) who could all be in this position at the end of the season.

 

This brings home the importance of the transfer window to all those Managers wanting to succeed in the competition.  Once the real window has closed at the end of January 2009, we shall open our own, taking into account all transfers to that point in time.  Making the right transfers could mean the difference between success and failure – do ensure that you keep an eye on the website and make changes to your team when required.

‘Le plus ca change le plus ca la même chose’

Mike Carabine

All the Arsenal fans amongst you will immediately recognise the 19^th Century French proverb, the first documented usage of which was in a work by the great Alfonse Karr. More familiar to the rest of us is the translated version in George Bernard Shaw’s “Revolutionist’s Handbook” in 1903, “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.

 

 

 

When I wrote my last blog on 1^st September, the sun was shining, I wasn’t the co-owner of several High Street banks and West Ham United were bumbling along under the tutelage of Alan Curbishley. Looking back some of my comments were strangely prescient if you consider subsequent events;

 

·         3^rd September – AC decides he has been undermined by the Director of Football and quits.

 

·         12^th September – XL, our shirt sponsors, go into administration. Cue much embarrassment as we have to play firstly with naff patches on the front of our shirts and then duplicate shirt numbers. It emerges that Bjorgulfer Gudmundsson has taken over the bank debt personally before the XL Group goes under.

 

·         7^th October – Landski Bank, owned by BG, goes into administration too.

 

At least the way in which we went about securing a new manager gave the impression that we knew what we were doing, with short listing and interviewing taking place swiftly and with a minimum of fuss (at least compared to Our Friends in the North East!). The fans favourite would have been Slaven Bilic but he couldn’t be persuaded to forsake Croatia (or wasn’t considered depending on who you believe). So we end up with Gianfranco Zola as boss, a fine footballer who played in a style West Ham fans appreciated, but with little practical experience of managing and even worse a Chelsea legend!

 

A reasonable start has transformed into a terrible current run and a match against one of our bogey sides, Everton, was not what the doctor ordered. Last December I headed to a freezing Upton Park and watched us throw away an early lead in a Carling Cup quarter-final, with Yakubu profiting from a mix up between Danny Gabbidon and Rob Green to score the winner with a couple of minutes to go. On Saturday I was heading back to the pub after playing in a 2-0 defeat but at least cheered by the news that the Irons were ahead. As we hit the outskirts of Chelmsford, 5Live flashed over to the Boleyn Ground and my worst fears were realised 1-1. When two minutes later they went back my heart sank, 1-2. When a further goal was announced almost immediately after I made the fatal mistake of thinking we had equalised – oops!

 

The last time we kept a clean sheet was back in February, the worst run ever by a Premier league side. Rumours abound that the Club is to be sold, but who will buy with a possible £30m + payout to Sheffield United hanging over us?  

 

Still things could be worse I suppose, Alan Curbishley could have been successful in his rumoured pursuit of Joey Barton at the end of last season!

Where does the next point come from?

I’m depressed. No I seriously am. I’ve said for ages “there are no easy games in the Premier League” only to find that there is at the present time – Tottenham and Newcastle. After the euphoria of our trophy last season it has gone from bad to worse and I reckon if you plotted a table from March to now we would be points adrift with Derby. No wonder Robbie Keane was so quick out of the door! How we miss him and Malbranque.

 

Hull City at home next week and a possible exit from the UEFA cup on Thursday. The next 7 days are crucial for everyone at the club that’s for sure. Having seen the Wigan match – if you could call it that – I would ask “what happened to the entertainment factor?” I was pleased when we signed David Bentley but he looks a shadow of the player he can be and at the present time if his life depended upon hitting a great corner or free kick the funeral would have been sometime last week.

 

All sports are confidence based and we surely cannot be as bad as we are playing at the moment. But you have to see a spark of something to change what is happening. We seem to be making strange decisions regarding selection and substitutions and you surely cannot accommodate everyone in the hope that it all comes right. For example, Modric signs for a lot of money looks good in Euros, reasonable in pre season but sat on the bench yesterday. Gunter does not play the first two games, appears against Chelsea does well for 70 minutes is subbed and sits back on the bench again. Corluka plays right back, not so good, plays centre back against Wigan looks solid but then goes back to right back. Zokora has been one of our best in midfield this season but has played 3 games at right back and then gets subbed yesterday when playing well.

 

Decide on your best team and stick to it should be the answer, the problem appears to be “we haven’t got a clue which team that is!” If you went back to basics you’d play 4-4-2, with a settled centre back partnership, committed wingers, a ball winner, some one creative and two up front. You’d play them all in the positions they know and understand so in my book it has to be;

 

Gomez, Gunter, Corluka, Woodgate (Cptn), Bale, Bentley, Modric, Zokora, Lennon, Pavlyuchenko and Bent.

 

I’m missing King because he cannot play all the games and as such we need to get a settled side and Jenas because for all his box to box running  I’m interested what he does with the ball and I’ve never been convinced that’s a great deal. I would have them both on the bench along with Huddlestone, Frazer Campbell, O’Hara and Giovanni and Hutton would replace Gunter when his fitness is complete.  We also need a leader on the pitch so give the armband to Woody.

 

And Ramos and Poyet? You have to stick with them at the present time. No doubt the suggestion is to spend big in January but as Mike Ashley’s statement showed a number of clubs have plenty of debt and Spurs may well be one of them. Changing Manager once more will not be the answer but if the players at the Club are not good enough a certain Daniel Commolli must take his fair share of the responsibility for that. I doubt he will see out the season.

 

No team is ever too good to get relegated. It’s down to the Spurs squad to fight for every ball, win every tackle and header and get the fans back on side. Have they the talent, I think so – but have they the desire and commitment – not on performances so far.  So COME ON YOU SPURS.

Chance of a Lifetime

Mike Carabine

At the March committee meeting the club I have played for over 25 years, Beacon Hill Rovers, decided to nominate ourselves for the County Charter Standard Club of the Year for Essex more in hope than expectation.

 

The Scheme looks at both the playing and non-playing aspects of a club, so as well as coaching it covers child protection, administration, disciplinary and development. The Scheme is open to ALL clubs below league level, so locally we were potentially up against Braintree Town, Witham Town, Chelmsford City and the like. So imagine our delight when in June we were invited to the Waterfront to collect the County award.

 

Part of the award offered three lucky Under-10’s the chance of a lifetime to carry out one of the pre-match flags before the crucial England Under-21 qualifier against Portugal on Friday 5^th September. Imagine my pride therefore when my son was one of the three chosen to carry out this duty. As soon as he found out, he phoned everyone he knew to tell them – his excitement turned up to 11.

On the day the Essex FA had laid on a coach for all the boys and accompanying adults, arriving at Wembley in plenty of time before their duties were due to start. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of going to the new stadium, I must recommend it. As you approach by road it looks a fantastic sight, the Arch more than making up for the loss of the Twin Towers. After leaving the boys to get their kit sorted, have a tour of the stadium, eat and then have a practice of what they would be doing later, the adults were treated to a pleasant meal at the Wembley Plaza Hotel, again courtesy of the Essex FA.

Upon our entry into the stadium we were shown to our seats above the corner flag. What struck me was, despite its size, the arena seems quite small, an effect of the extended roof constructions most of the way round. The consequence of this is that you feel closer to the action than you really are.

7.35pm: As the teams take to the pitch, the first flag out of the tunnel is a blue “Respect” banner, supporting the new FA campaign to encourage players, coaches and spectators not to harangue and abuse match officials. Immediately we spot that the three bearers our end are the members of our club – little old Beacon Hill; on the pitch; at Wembley! They carry out their duties without falling over or kicking Ricardo Vaz Te and are brought back to sit with us for the game.

To be honest for much of the first half the boys would have been better off still under the stands, as the match was pretty dire. Considering Portugal needed to win to top the Group, they made no real effort to get forward. England played with Gaby Agbonlahor up front on his own supported by a midfield five. For this to work effectively you either have to get it in to the frontman’s feet and play off him or get the two wide men playing in more advanced positions and playing almost as wingers. For most of the first 45 minutes we managed to do neither very well, but just before half-time a soft penalty was awarded to England, which James Milner tucked away.

My only cause for a moan during the whole day came at the half-time interval. The cost of refreshments at Wembley has been well publicised, so I was prepared for the extortionate prices. However what did come as a shock was the speed of service and the fact that when we did finally get to the front of the queue half the menu was off! All this on a crowd of just over 27,000 – so what must it be like on Cup Final day?!!

The second half saw a better performance and when Mark Noble slid a great through ball to Mr A, who then finished casually, it was game over. Portugal eventually mustered a couple of efforts, which Joe Hart coped with easily, leaving England 2-0 winners to finish top of the Group. In a strange twist, this does not guarantee a place in the finals as there is a two-legged play-off before that.

I must commend the FA with regard to ticket pricing for this game, with it being only £10 for adults and a fiver for children. Given that most of the England side were regular performers in the Premier League, and the importance of the match, I thought that was good value and would consider going again in the future. Even better for me, the England side selected included players from a number of clubs not just the three or four that dominate the main England team.    

On the way back on the coach we had a bunch of tired but elated children, who were soon fast asleep. Although their enjoyment of the whole experience was clearly immense, I don’t think that at that age they can appreciate what an honour it was for them and how lucky they were to get the opportunity. Hopefully in years to come, when they look back and remember 5^th September 2008 they will.

 

 

 

 

“It’s not the despair, I can stand the despair; it’s the hope …”

Film buffs amongst you might recognise the above quote which came from the 1986 film “Clockwise”. For those of you who haven’t seen it, it is about Brian Stimson, a headmaster who is a stickler for punctuality, and his misadventures in getting to an important meeting. Mr Stimson was played by a certain John Cleese, who is well known for his work in Monty Python, Fawlty Towers and A Fish called Wanda.

 

Less well known is the fact that he an ardent West Ham United fan, which might explain his forte for manic expression, bouts of depression and occasional moments where his pent up frustrations boil over into aggression. His years in therapy are well documented, although nowhere I have seen has identified whether his attendance was due to professional pressures, personal problems or simply that we had dropped another three points due to our inability to defend properly.

 

The titular quotation aptly sums up my feelings about supporting the Irons. Perennial underachievers with any sporadic moment of success matched soon after by a dismal failure of some sort or another. My expectations for this season were low and, three games in, I have seen nothing to change my mind, despite us being in the Top 3 for a brief while on Saturday. From the matches/ highlights that I have watched we were lucky to get a victory against Wigan on the opening day, we were totally outplayed by Manchester City even prior to Mark Noble being sent off and in serious danger of being embarrassed by a Macclesfield side that managed to lose 6-0 at the weekend.

 

From Alan Curbishley’s point of view a visit to Upton Park by Blackburn Rovers was just what the doctor ordered, with the crowd having a manger to dislike more than their own man for once! It was 19 years ago that Paul Ince made that serious misjudgement in getting photographed in a Manchester United kit before the deal was done and dusted for him to move to Old Trafford. Hammers fans do appear to have long memories and, although the abuse was not as bad as most feared, the Guv’nor was asked most vociferously if he knew the score at the end of the match, which saw us claim another flattering victory.

 

I am worried however. The Credit Crunch was always going to be an issue for us, given that Bjorgulfer Gudmundsson our Icelandic owner earns his crust in the banking sector back home. It also became clear that as popular a figure as the Eggman was, his largesse in terms of players’ contracts had put unnecessary strain on the club’s finances. Finally there is Mr C’s penchant for buying players who spend more time on the treatment table than the training pitch. The combination of these three factors has seen Freddie Ljungberg walk away with bulging pockets, Anton Ferdinand decide that the North-East looked a better bet than the club he had been with since school, decent squad players sold without replacement and various rumours of key men being lined up as the next to be off.

 

Still things could be worse I suppose, we could have spent £5m on Dos Santos only to find out he is too lightweight for the hurly burly of the Premier League. As my friend Mr Cleese might have said in one of his many guises, “It’s alright – he came from Barcelona!” 

 

To see how you are doing please click League Table     

Fantasy football – 2008/09 bargains???

Having studied the List of Players long and hard and finally getting my team sorted for this year, I began to wonder whether it is worth including the top end players or whether it is best to stick to 11 mid-range players who give value for money.

Ronaldo, this year, costs £9.5m, which is almost one-fifth of the team value. Players such as Lampard, Gerrard, Ferdinand (Rio of course, not Anton) and Fabregas are all popular choices each season.

But is it worth putting one or two of these players in and ending up with a Hull City defender and a Stoke City goalie worth less than Ronaldo’s left foot (or right foot – doesn’t matter which – he is equally as good with either)?

In my opinion, it is well worth looking at the less expensive players to see whether there is a potential bargain – for example, Darren Bent costs £2.5m but has scored 13 pre season goals. Admittedly, some of these were against worst opposition, but is he worth a punt?

Looking at the final scores for last year, there are a number of players, each worth around £3m or so who all scored 100 points. It may be worth including them to ensure consistency.

Then, if you pick a bargain player that not many people fancy who happens to performs well, you could find yourself climbing the divisions straight away, whilst others have to wait until the next window to catch up…